Teachers from private MPO-listed educational institutions have announced an indefinite nationwide strike beginning from Monday (October 13) following a violent police crackdown on peaceful demonstrators in Dhaka.

The Alliance for Nationalisation of MPO-Listed Education Institutions made the announcement after law enforcement agencies used force to disperse a sit-in protest near the National Press Club earlier on Sunday.

The teachers had been demanding a 20% house rent allowance based on basic salary—a request they say has been ignored by the government for years.

The alliance had planned to begin boycotting classes on Tuesday, October 14, giving the authorities until Monday to issue a formal notification on the allowance. However, the timeline was abruptly changed after police deployed sound grenades, water cannons, and batons to break up the demonstration, resulting in injuries and the temporary detention of several educators.

In response, union leaders convened a rally at Central Shaheed Minar around 4:30 PM, where they declared the immediate start of the work stoppage.

“The government chose repression over dialogue,” said Dr. Anwar Hossain, a senior coordinator of the alliance. “We came peacefully to demand a basic entitlement that would help us cope with rising living costs. Instead, we were met with violence. We have no choice but to escalate our movement.”

The strike is expected to impact thousands of private schools and colleges across the country that operate under the MPO scheme, affecting millions of students. Parents and school administrations have expressed growing concern over potential academic disruptions.

The alliance has called for nationwide solidarity actions and urged the government to initiate immediate talks to resolve the issue. They also demanded accountability for the use of excessive force during the protest.